I Wish I Could Back Up
by GeneralLeeGirl
Summary: A surprised look crossed his face as their eyes met. His burning blue eyes turned from surprised, to troubled, to something else, something she’d never seen before. Except that time when... First fanfic! More chapters to come. Rated T to be safe. Plz R&R!
1. Back Home

_Hey Everybody! This is my first FanFic! I'm so excited! lol.. _

_This story is the result of a very bored me in Chemistry class. Please read and review! Enjoy!  
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_The title is borrowed from Alan Jackson's song, "I Wish I Could Back Up." And all the characters are borrowed from Gy Waldron's Dukes of Hazzard. Except for Katie. I made her up! lol._

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_I Wish I Could Back Up

She walked down the old, familiar streets, happy to be home. Things had changes since she left for college; there were more wrinkles on old man Hoover's face, the paint on that old bench in front of the Bank was peeling, and (it came to no surprise to her) most of the business signs had changed to have J.D. Hogg written on it somewhere. (Whether he got those business fairly of not, that was a different story.)

She rounded the corner on the sidewalk by the courthouse. There were flowers outside. She figured that those wouldn't last long, that is if them Duke boys were still the same as she left, crazy. Oh well, her big cousin wasn't much better, usually an accessory to most of those infamous Duke schemes, hence the handle Crazy Cooter. Speaking of which, he was supposed to pick her up off the bus! But she knew that he probably got wrapped up in something over at the garage and forgot. She turned from where she was admiring the Hazzard Police's flower bed to see her big cousin's garage, still standing, and no where on it could she see J.D. Hogg's name. At least he was able to hold on.

As she began walking down the street towards the landmark, the saw another all-too familiar sight, there in front of the garage, sat a bright orange Charger with a big '01' on the doors, hood up, with three very familiar bodies hunched down looking at the supped-up racing engine.

The first one she saw was that big, tall, not-so-gangly-any-more Bo Duke. He was leaning on the car with both hands. His back was to her, but she could tell that bright blonde head anywhere. Next was Cooter. He was wiping his hands on an old rag, like that would help much, since he was grease from head to toe. He had on that same old ball cap, sitting crooked on his head, as he looked mournfully at the General's engine. And last but certainly not least, Mr. Luke Duke. He was leaning on his elbows on the far side of the car, twirling a screwdriver in his big, strong hands. His blue, plaid shirt unbuttoned, revealing some of his muscular farm boy chest. Blue eyes were inspecting the malfunctioning device under the hood. Yep, it was good to be home!

She proceeded down the street toward the boys, slowing her steps when she got into earshot of the men as to sneak up on them. Luke looked up from his previous fixation and met her eyes. She should have known better than to think that she could sneak up on Luke Duke.

A surprised look crossed his face as their eyes met. His burning blue eyes turned from surprised, to troubled, to something else, something she'd never seen before. Except that time when… no, she didn't want to think about that. And she hoped that Luke wasn't thinking that either…

She dropped her big duffle bag on the ground and cleared her throat to get the other two boys attention and distract herself from that mournful look in Luke's eyes. Bo and Cooter turned around; ready to tell whoever it was that was standing behind them to leave them alone, they were in the middle of a very important project.

That same surprised look that his cousin was wearing just a few seconds ago, found a place on Bo's face. But instead of crumpling into a frown, a big goofy smile took its place. A grimace came across Cooter's face as he looked at her, knowing he was going to get a tongue lashing. "Now, Katie, I forgot you were coming home today--" he stammered.

"It's alright Cooter, a little exercise never hurt nobody." she said, taking a few steps forward, wrapping her arms around her big cousin's neck. She felt his big, grease covered arms wrap around her waist and hug her back. "I missed you cuz." She said as he lightened up and pulled away, looking her over.

"I missed you too," he replied, "Things have done gone down hill around here without my head mechanic around to hold the place together!" He smiled that big, toothy, crooked Cooter smile.

She smacked his chest. "Yeah, whatever you say." She winked. She turned from her cousin to Bo, who was leaning against the car, hands in his jeans back pockets, and took a few steps towards him. He pushed himself off the car and put his arms out for a hug. "Hey Bo, you err... Grew up since I left." she said as she stood on her tip-toes to wrap her arms around them too-tall shoulders.

He laughed, "You too Katie, you grew up a bit since I saw you last too. College sure wasn't bad to you!" Bo replied like a goof, adding in a little giggle at the end. She laughed along with him. A sound came from across the open hood of the car, a cough?

"Bo," That was Luke. It was so long since she heard that rough voice. Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of it. They looked over across the roof of the orange stock car to see Luke standing there, arms crossed over his chest, giving Bo that look. That look that told Bo to tone down the idiocy. A few years ago, she would've scolded him for doing that to Bo, but she figured Bo could handle himself now.

"Well it's the truth Luke!" Bo tried to reason with his older cousin, but got shut down when Luke gave him another, meaner look. Oh, if looks could kill…

She let go of the younger Duke boy and made her way around the front of the car. "Now, now boys," she said as she ran her hand across the frame of the car she'd spent so many days and nights in, "We have lots of time to discuss this later. I didn't come home to cause a family feud!" She made her way to Luke's side of the car. He turned to face her, she looked up to him. He had that guarded look in his eyes. He didn't want her to know what he was thinking. He'd gotten better at it, or she was just out of practice, probably the latter. "Hey," was all she could manage to say to him when she got within a few feet of him.

"Hey." He replied. He took a step toward her, staring into her eyes. She met his stare. Her heart ached deep in her chest. She looked down and took one more step and wrapped her arms round his muscular chest, and buried her face in his shoulder. She felt his arms on her back, holding her tight.

"I'm home now." She said into his shoulder.

"I see that." he replied, kind of coldly, into her ear. They stayed like that for a few seconds before she felt him leave from underneath her. "Glad your back." He said as he stepped back from her and went to lean on the General's fender. She stood there, kind of stunned for a minute, trying to get her gears about her again.

"So, y'all back for good?" asked Bo.

She sighed and walked over to where there was a pile of old oil barrels and buckets and grabbed an empty five gallon bucket to sit on. She packed it back to where the boys were all leaning on the car, set it on the ground upside down and sat down.

"Yeah I guess so." She replied. Was that a scowl on Luke's face?


	2. A Broken Promise is a Broken Car

_Hey everybody! Thanks for all the reviews! You guys all made me so happy! lol.. _

_Ok, so Chapter #2. This is going to be a flashback chapter from Luke's POV. Kind of get some insight into what he was thinking in the first chapter. I am NOT going to italicize the flashback part since it's the vast majority of this chapter. So I'm going to put a page break line thingy where it starts. You should be able to tell where it is.. lol  
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_Keep the reviews coming! They make me happy!! =]_

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The sound of cowboy boots on pavement made him look up from the sad situation that was presently the General's engine, to see something he thought he'd never see again. There, walking down the middle of the street towards them, was Katie Davenport. There was something different about her... The way she walked, the way she looked around her like she'd never been to Hazzard before... It was strange. Sure, he hadn't seen her since she left for college three years ago, but really, how long was three years... Not long enough to make those memories any less clear.

Cooter never said anything about her coming back. Which was strange for Cooter, since he couldn't keep a secret if his fool life depended on it! Then again, if you broke a promise you made with Katie, she dismantle your car with that 3/8 cresent wrench she usually packed around with her.

Their eyes met. Her brown eyes softened, and a little smile took its place on her face. A million memories played in his mind...

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They were sitting in the loft of the Duke barn staring out at the clear night sky. Luke was leaning against the 2x6 that framed the big window in the north side of the barn, one leg hanging out the big opening. Katie was curled up in his lap, her red head resting on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

They did this a lot. Just relaxing, or talking, spending time together. Plus, it was the only place where they could get away from Bo and Daisy. They could see them coming from up here and had time to formulate a defense. He figured that Bo was jealous of Katie, spending more time with Luke than he got to anymore. But the kid was just getting into Senior High, he'd soon understand that girls were more than just good to throw snakes and spiders at.

He looked down to where she was leaning on his chest, looking out at the clear Hazzard night. Her long, messy, red ringlets fell down her back from underneath the old blue cap she always wore. She looked like an angel, _a hayseed angel in work boots. _He smiled at the line he used to describe her sometimes. She was an all-natural Hazzard born farm girl that had all the right curves in all the right places, had the prettiest face you ever seen, and soft brown eyes that burned gold in the hot Hazzard sun… It wasn't just looks that made Luke stick around, (although that may have been the initial reason.) she knew how to work, she wasn't scared to get dirty and break off a few finger nails. She was a mechanical genius, but he figured that just came with the territory, she was a Davenport after all.

She was the only girl that Luke had ever been with that liked these quiet moments. She didn't force him to talk, didn't force him to do anything. She wasn't clingy; she actually respected his need for personal space every now and then. She was different. She scared him. He'd never felt anything like that with a girl before. It was like a light switch coming on, and suddenly he could see. He'd talked to Uncle Jesse about her even. He was scared to death; of her, and of losing her. Jesse called it love. He wasn't convinced. That was a word he used to get lucky! He and Katie never even got that far yet.

He bit his lip, he wanted to say something, tell her how he felt. He didn't usually have to worry about making the first move, or any moves for that matter, most girls were more than willing to tell him how they felt. Good or bad. Katie was changing him, and he couldn't be happier. He set his cheek down on her shoulder, squeezing her tight. She turned her head, (good thing she had her cap on backwards or it would've hit him in the head) to meet his eyes, their faces only inch or so apart.

"Hey, how's it goin'?" she asked with a bit of a giggle.

"Not a lot," he replied, "Just looking at you." he smiled. She smiled that little lopsided smile back at him. Her brown eyes sparkled in the dim moonlight. Her hand came up from where it was in his own up to his hair, playing with his dark curls. It felt good. He closed his eyes and exhaled.

Next thing he knew, those familiar lips were on his. Soft and sweet. He kissed back, just as softly. He opened his eyes the same time she did as they pulled away from each other. She was so damn pretty.

"I love you." he whispered, but he knew she could hear.

"I love you too." she whispered back. She turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck and began kissing him. He turned so his back was to the hay covered floor of the loft and laid back. They made a promise to each other that night. True love.

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He was brought out of his reverie by Katie hugging him. It felt good, it felt right, but it felt all wrong at the same time. She left him. He'd made a promise to her. He'd broken that promise. He backed away from her and looked into her eyes, trying to hide the truth from her. He turned away to lean on the General, to protect it. After all, you break a promise to Katie, she'll break your car.


	3. Hard Landings and Hose Clamps

_This story currently has 125 hits and 9 reviews!!! YAY!!! *Does a happy dance* You guys all make me so happy! lol_

_Ok, so chapter 3. Nothin really super special happens here. It's not one of my best works, but I think it works alright with were I'm going. _

_So enjoy! And keep those reviews coming! Read+Review=A Very Happy Writer!  
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_"So are ya back for good?" Asked Bo_

_"Yeah I guess so." Replied Katie._

She sat on the up side down oil bucket with her elbows resting on her knees, hands clasped together. She was looking up at the three men that were leaning against the orange car.

"So… Why are ya back? They kick ya out?" Bo asked, still nosy and shameless.

She smiled at him, "Well, they didn't kick me out," she replied, "I ran out of money. So, yeah, I guess you can say they did kicked me out." She winked at him.

"Ya ran outta money?" That was Luke, he looked up from where he was staring blankly at the ground.

"Yeah, I did. Not very many jobs in the city for a dumb country kid like me." She replied, a crooked smile on her face.

"You ain't dumb." Luke retorted, "Hell, you know just as much if not more bout cars than any professional city mechanic!"

"You know that, I know that, Cooter knows that, cause he taught me every-dang-thing I know, but try and convince some big talkin', city slicker drivin' a Cadillac, and wearin' a three-piece suit of that." She told him and pressed her lips together, "Besides," she kept talking, getting up from her bucket, "Who says I'm goin' back?" Luke shrugged and went back to looking at the ground, not metting her eyes. That bothered her. What was wrong with the guy? She walked over to the debilitated General Lee and leaned on the frame, looking under the hood. She turned to Cooter and Bo who were standing beside her. "What's wrong with the General?" She asked, pointing with her chin towards the supped-up everything that took up residence under the bright orange hood.

"Well, you see," Bo started, using his hands to illustrate the series of events, "Luke and me was testin' him out for the big race on Saturday. He was doin' fine, 'til we jumped him over Hazzard creek. Then he started sputterin' and makin' all sorts of unhealthy noises."

"You made it over the creek?" She asked, kinda surprised, "Where'd you jump it?" Bo smiled, Cooter laughed, Luke was trying to act like he wasn't interested.

"You've been gone off to college awhile." Cooter replied with a laugh.

"We jumped it west of where Old Ridge Road crosses it, a pretty standard jump." He smiled like it was just so obvious that she know that.

"Well in my defense," She retorted, "When I left, you boys just built the General, couldn't have had him for more than six months. You guys were drivin' fast, but not flyin'."

"Yeah I guess so eh," Bo said, "It's been awhile."

"Yes, yes it has." she replied, looking down at the orange paint under her hands. Then looking back to Bo she asked, "He lets you drive it?" she motioned to Luke with her head. Bo smiled.

"Yep. And I can out drive him any day of the week." Bo said with a smug smile on his face looking at his older cousin.

"You wish cousin." Luke told Bo, there sure musta been something of great interest on the ground over there.

Katie shook her head and took up where they left off from her little side track. "So, you jumped the creek, and the General started acting up." She looked up to Bo, who confirmed her summary with a nod. "Well then with my knowledge of gravity and of stuff falling from the sky, I'd say that something has got knocked loose."

"Well we figured that much," Cooter told her, "But everything looks good up here." He waved his hands over the engine as to show there was nothing wrong.

"Did you check in underneath him?" She asked, looking at her big cousin.

"Umm, nope. I didn't, any of you two check?" Luke shook his head and Bo didn't look like he understood the question, meaning he didn't either. Katie smiled and lowered herself down to the ground and shimmied under the car.

A drop of engine oil hit her between the eyes. "Well I think I found your problem boys." She looked up so see one of the main lines coming off of the oil pump had half-way fallen off, leaking oil. "You knocked off an oil line going up to the crankcase. You're going to need a new half-inch hose clamp and probably a few cans of oil." She heard the sound of cowboy boots walking into the garage to get the parts she requested. She reached up to take the hose all the way off so they could replace the broken hose clamp. "Good thing Hazzard creek ain't far from here or ya woulda run your engine outta oil." She twisted the line and popped it off.

"I told you that was too hard a landin'." She heard Luke talking from somewhere above her.

"Well I figured that much out Luke." Bo replied in a bit of a sarcastic tone. She heard the cowboy boots walking back towards the car just as the boys began giving each other tips on driving and flying and landing.

Then Cooter was under the car with her, hose clamp in one hand and a screwdriver in the other. She took the clamp from him and slipped it on over the hose and began twisting the hose back in where it belonged. Then she took the screwdriver and tightened the clamp up. Cooter checked her work, making sure it was done up to standards and disappeared from under the car. She pushed her self out from under the car and stood up, dusting off her jeans.

Luke was now topping off the oil level, (it was down nearly a quart) and still giving Bo driving advice and how if it ever happened again he was gonna kill him.

When the boys were done their little squabble and Katie and Cooter had approved the car road worthy once again, it was nearly 5 o'clock.

"What y'all doin' for supper tonight?" Luke asked Cooter and Katie.

"Hopefully eating. Why, you want to invite us over for some of Daisy's fine cookin?" Cooter replied.

"Sure!" Bo answered Cooter's question, "Besides, I'm sure Daisy and Uncle Jesse would like to see Katie again." He grinned that goofy Bo Duke grin, happy as can be now that the General was all healthy again.

"Okay, sounds like a plan, that it unless Katie here's got something different she wants to do." Cooter looked down to his little cousin that was right beside him leaning on a stack of old tires.

"No, I ain't got no plans," She replied, "And I'd love to go and see Uncle Jesse and Daisy, and catch up on all that's been going on round here during my absence." She smiled.

"Alright then, let's go!" Bo clapped his hands together. Luke jumped in the passenger's side window of the General. Bo climbed over the hood and slipped in through the driver's window. Katie and Cooter turned around and got in Cooter's wrecker and followed the boys out to the Duke farm.


	4. Girl Talk

_Hey y'all! Sorry it's been sooooooo lonnggg! I got really busy and this really wasn't such a priority. But I got a new chapter up now! YAY! It's pretty short and I feel like I'm cheating a bit, but it'll get me to where I'm going. _

_New chapter should be up ASAP. I'm just editing right now and there's a few bugs that just refuse to leave... But I'll get it. _

_So enjoy! Read&Review! _

_I don't own the Dukes, no matter how much I wish I did...  
_

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The Duke household was a buzz with activity. The boys were out finishing up the evening chores, Cooter and Uncle Jesse were also outside, looking over Jesse's pick-up and supervising Bo and Luke. Katie and Daisy were inside the tiny farmhouse peeling potatoes and baking biscuits, girl-talk getting kinda out of hand for Katie's liking.

"So why did you leave the city?" Daisy asked, leaning over her big pot of potatoes, cutting the starchy vegetable into quarters.

"To many people, not enough room to move, no money." Katie replied with a little bit of a laugh, "Plus I missed Hazzard and all of the crazy shenanigans that go on." She pulled the golden brown biscuits out of the oven and set the baking sheet on the stove top to cool.

"Well, one thing's for sure, it don't get boring round here!" Daisy replied with a high-pitched laugh. "So, did ya meet any cute boys out there?" She asked, setting her knife down on the counter, and turned to look at Katie, a prodding, curious look in her eyes. Katie laughed and picked a biscuit off the still-hot baking sheet.

"Lot of cute guys, none that really made my head turn though." She replied, hoping Daisy wouldn't push the subject.

"Really?"

"Really, really."

"Is that why you came back to Hazzard?"

_Damn!_

Katie looked up from the biscuits and out the back window with a heavy sigh. Daisy always knew exactly where to hit. She wiped her hands off on the tea towel that was on the counter, trying to delay her inevitable answer. She looked down to watch her hands tangle with the piece of red, checked cloth. "I guess you could say that…"

Daisy straightened up, satisfied and cut the last of the potatoes and put them on the stove to boil, moving around Katie, who was now looking out the window again.

No, she didn't come back to Hazzard because she was out of money, (she still had a sock full of cash in her suitcase) she didn't come back because she hated the city, (although that was definitely encouragement) and she sure as hell didn't come back because she wanted to be part of one of Boss Hogg's schemes. No, it was a little more complicated than that, something she wasn't too sure if she could explain, even if she wanted to, not to Daisy anyway. No, the only person who would really understand was outside right now, splitting firewood.

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_Luke's POV_

He brought the heavy axe down on top of the dry log with a wallop. Splinters flew about as the axe went right through to the big, green stump underneath. He left the axe as it was and picked up all the little bits of wood that lay scattered about to throw on the wood pile.

He turned from the wood pile to the farm house. Through the kitchen window, he could see Katie and Daisy talking. Daisy looked normal enough, but Katie... She looked uncomfortable and cagey, almost looking like she was ready to dart. His dark eyebrows met each other in the middle of his forehead as he appraised the scene. Daisy must have hit a nerve with Katie or something.

Pulling the axe back out of the stump to split another log, he went back to that old familiar memory. The one that had been replaying in his head most of the day. The one where he put the love of his life on a bus for the city, not knowing if he was ever going to see her again.

Now that she was back, Luke didn't really know what to think of the whole situation. The number one question on his mind was why was she back? He didn't believe for a second that she had run out of money. She was too damn stubborn to take no for an answer, plus she was a quick learner and good at whatever she put her mind to. _She might be in trouble. _He thought to himself. Lots of Hazzard girls have come back to Hazzard with some big shot with a big gun hot on her heels. She wouldn't be the first.

He set another dry log on the stump and lifted the axe above his head, contracting the muscles in his arms to bring it down again, shattering the dry birch wood

Luke had a plan. He didn't know if she'd go for it or not, but he had to figure out why she was home and if she was in trouble.


	5. Author's Note : I hate AN's

_Hey everybody! _

_So I was having trouble getting the next chapter to work right, so I ended up going back and editing chapter 4 'Girl Talk' to including Luke's POV.  
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_So go back and check it out. Now that I've done this, the next chapter has straightened itself out and I should have it up here in the near future! _


	6. Cheap Beer and Still Sites

_Hey everybody! I'm baaack! Finally... I have an excuse for the rather long delay in updating. First, pretty much wrote this whole story in my chemistry class. Well, chem's been over for a long time. Second, this chapter was hard to write because it had the potential to go in so many different directions! So I wrote out every different senario that could possibly happen and finally settled on this._

_Hope y'all like it! R&R! (P.S. I promise to be a little more vigilant on my chapter updating!)_

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The food was ate, the dishes were done, and the beers where finding their way out of the fridge. Jesse had gone to bed to let the youngin's catch up. Daisy was close to follow since she had to go to work early the next day to do inventory.

Katie sat next to Bo, he had his arm slung around the back of her chair, leaning into the back of his own, swigging at his beer. Cooter sat across the table from Katie, drawing out his plans to further sup-up the General. Sounded like he wanted to try to increase the General's compression, which Katie would eventually get around to telling him wouldn't work, since the extra pressure would surely blow a head gasket. She was waiting for Luke to pipe-up about it, seeing as how Cooter was planning the demise of the car that Luke had a half-share in. Luke was at the head of the table between Katie and Cooter, looking down at the unopened beer in front of him on the table, spinning it slowly in his hands. He had a distant look on his face, not the kind he got when he was thinking; he looked cute when he was thinking. No, he looked almost lost.

Katie took a sip from her own can of brew and set it back down on the table. It had been awhile since she had drunk any alcohol and she was feeling pretty happy after only two cans. She looked at Luke. "Scared of a hangover there Lukas?" he looked at her with a questioning on his face. She motioned to the beer in front of him, "Ya ain't even opened it yet."

"So I haven't." he replied, looking back down at the blue and white can in front of him.

"Somethin' buggin' ya?" Katie asked leaning on the table on her elbows to get closer to him.

"No," he shook his head the tiniest bit, "just got a lot on my mind."

"That ain't nothin' new." she replied. "Wanna go talk about it?" she added hopefully. She had lots that she needed to tell him, just not exactly in the presence of Cooter and Bo, especially when she was half-drunk.

He looked back to her face, his look calculating, weighing out the pro's and con's of accepting her offer. He smiled a tiny bit. The pro's had apparently outweighed the con's. "We'll take the General." he tapped his fingers lightly on the tabletop before standing up and turning for the door. Katie followed eagerly.

"Where do you two bandits think you're going?" Bo asked, turning in his chair to face them.

"We're off to wreak havoc on the town of Hazzard." Katie half-slurred her answer.

"Well that ain't hard." Bo laughed.

"Or specific." Cooter added, "Really, what y'all goin' to do?"

"I promise not to do anything you wouldn't do, Coot." Luke swore, right hand in the air and everything.

"Better not." Cooter grumbled, "She is my cousin you know."

"Shut up Cooter." Katie scolded him. "I can take this pipsqueak any day of the week." she smiled and punched Luke lightly in the arm to prove her point. Cooter rolled his eyes.

"Well if I ain't here when y'alls get back, I'll be at the house." he told Katie.

"Well if I ain't back by mornin' I'll meet you at the garage, kay?" Katie said patting her cousin on the shoulder on her way to door.

"Y'all have fun now." Was Bo's parting words as Katie and Luke headed out the door.

"Later." Luke replied, closing the front door and following Katie out onto the front porch. She stumbled around the porch until she ran into her old, scuffed, brown cowboy boots. She carefully shoved her feet into the old abused boots, not caring about fixing her jeans that had rolled halfway up her calves with the effort. She straightened her cap on her head and she was ready to go. She turned around to look for Luke and was sort of shocked to find him standing right behind her. How she didn't hear him move on the creaky old porch was beyond her. Then again, it really wasn't. She was a clumsy drunk.

"See that you finally managed to wrangle those boots on eh?" Luke's intense blue eyes had her in such a trance that she couldn't think up a witty remark to throw back at him.

"Yeah I did." She replied instead, "Aren't you proud of me?" Not as witty as she was hoping for, but it'll do.

Luke smiled down at her laughed a little, "Sure Katie, I'm proud of ya."

"Good." She said. She ambled her way off the porch towards the General, Luke following close behind so he could catch her if she fell. "Luke! I'm not that drunk!" she giggled, "I can walk fine, it's the little things like putting on my boots that you gotta worry bout me."

"Alright." he agreed. "So do you figure you could jump in through a window? You don't need to put on or take off your boots." he winked at her. She stuck her tongue out at him. "Or would you like some help?"

"I can do it!" She said excited to prove to Luke she could do it. She jogged up to the passenger's side window and grabbed hold of the door frame. She leaned her left hip on the side of the car as she hopped, swinging her feet in through the window. Her boots resting on the seat, she slid in the car. When her head was no longer in danger of catching the doorframe or a roll bar, she let herself plunk down on the seat and swung her legs so her boots where on the floor. She leaned her elbows on the door and looked up at Luke. "Told ya I could do it."

Luke smiled his half-smile and laughed his low laugh as he made his way over to his own side of the car, jumped in and fired up the General. Stabbing the shifter into first, he popped the clutch and the General Lee assaulted whatever was behind him with a rain of flying rocks. Luke steered them effortlessly out onto Old Mill Road and got them up to a comfortable cruising speed. "So where do you want to go?" he asked as he shifted to fifth.

"I ain't got the wheel." Katie replied, relishing in the feeling of her right hand weaving through the wind out the window. It was her favorite feeling in the world, made her feel free and young and crazy. "So what's on your mind?" she asked after a few minutes of nothing but the sound of 150 horses running through the Hazzard night.

"Just — Heck I don't really know myself." Luke sputtered, "I guess it's just that I'm kind of in shock that you came back." He looked across the moonlit cab at her leaning against the seat, hand still out the window.

"Turn right." Katie said suddenly, sitting up and pointing to an approach coming up. "Go there."

"That ain't nothin' but bush –"

"Yeah I know, and one of Hector Farley's old shine sites." She cut him off. "He ain't around, I'm sure he won't mind us spending a little while there."

Luke looked at her and shook his head. "How do you remember these things." he muttered as he cut the car hard to the right, sliding sideways across the road. He shifted down quickly to a more appropriate gear as to not hurt the General and followed the old goat trail to the old hide away.

"You know what always kind of amazed me," Katie started.

"What's that?"

"How could everybody in Hazzard know where everyone had a still and the revenuers could never figure it out?"

"Shared dislike for the government?" Luke replied. Katie smiled and nodded

"Yeah, that would make sense."

Luke reined the General to a halt in the middle of an old clearing, complete with the remnants of an old still, of a past life, a much crazier and funner life.

"Well. Here we are." Luke stated. He shut the General Lee down. The roar of the engine died, leaving silence in its wake. They sat still in the car for a moment. The squeak of the seat broke the silence as Luke readjusted so he could pull himself out of the car. Katie followed his lead, grabbing hold of the roof of the car and kicking her feet up on the seat to help push her out the window. Getting out of the car proved to be harder than getting in, she wound up flat on her back, in the grass, looking up at the clear night sky. Luke was over her instantly, one hand on her arm and one on her opposite shoulder. "You alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine." she replied, trying to sit up, but Luke kept her pinned to the ground. "I'm a Davenport, got a head of steel." She knocked her fist against her head trying to convey her point. Luke sighed and let the pressure off her arms and helped her to a sitting position. "Plus, I've had a few beers tonight, so I'm invincible!"

"Well I wouldn't say that."

"Oh?" she challenged, "Why not?"

"I don't know," he replied. "Just – meh, never mind."

Katie raised her eyebrow at him and scooted around on the ground so her back was leaning up against the General's steel body. Luke followed her lead and leaned against the car beside her, playing with a few blades grass in his big, strong hands.

"So," Katie tried again, "What's on your mind?"

Luke stared harder at the blades of grass he was rolling around in his hands.

"Luke?"

He lifted his head and turned it to look at her. "Just, well, I guess I was just wondering why you came back." His eyes gave him away. They weren't of that strange guilty look they had taken on since her arrival earlier in the day, they were calculating and inquisitive.

"I told ya, I ran outta money for college." He shook his head.

"No you didn't." He replied. "I know as good as you do that you'd never let that happen."

"Yeah," She sighed, "You do." She looked into his eyes, which hadn't cheered up none since that revelation, just stared harder into hers.

"Well, why are you back then?" he asked, "Are you in trouble? Do you need help?"

"No, no, I'm fine Luke." She shushed him, putting her hand on his that was suddenly in the air in an attempt to calm him. "I'm fine." She weaved her fingers in between Luke's and scooted closer so she could lean a bit on him. Luke's thumb began running slowly up and down the outside of her own thumb, leaving a hot path in its wake.

"Well if you're fine, then why did you come back to Hazzard? What about college?" Katie leaned her head on his shoulder; it still fit perfectly in the muscular contours.

"The only reason I went to college is because of my parents." she began "It was written in their will that I would have to go to college and get an education before I could get the deed to the farm and the money." She felt Luke nod his head. "So now I got my education and the documentation to prove it to finally get the farm back." She lifted her head off of Luke's shoulder to look at him, "So does that answer your question?" she asked smiling.

"Yeah it does." he replied. He looked at her and smiled, his eyes lightening up a bit from the serious look they had before. "So, ah, that means that you're back for good then?"

"Yep." She smiled. Luke smiled a great big old grin that she hadn't seen him wear since he got home from the Marines.

"Good." Luke leaned in for a kiss that Katie was eager to oblige.

When the kiss broke, Luke wrapped his arm around Katie and pulled her close. She fit herself into Luke's hard frame effortlessly. It was like a puzzle that there was only two pieces to. Katie reluctantly broke the comfortable silence.

"What else?" she asked, "What's been bothering you?"

"What do you mean?" Luke asked, his voice rumbling in his chest.

"Ever since I showed up in town, you've been strange." she said, "Almost like I was the last person that you wanted to see walking down the street."

Luke sighed and pulled her closer. "That's because you kinda were the last person I wanted to see." low, barely audible.

"Why?"

"Guilt I guess." he replied, "I didn't think that you'd come back." Katie tensed to sit up and look at him, but Luke's arm kept her where she was against his side. He turned his head to look at her; those blue eyes looked troubled and guilty.

"Don't you start crying on me now Luke Duke." Katie threatened, smiling. Luke also smiled, but it didn't touch his eyes none.

"There have been girls Katie," he admitted, "Nothin' serious or anything like that.—"

Katie shushed him, "It's okay Luke."

"No it ain't." he denied, "I broke my word to you." he hung his head a bit.

She reached around with her hand and placed it on his cheek to turn his head toward her. "Yes it is Luke, it's fine."

"Really, Katie? Honestly?" He asked, searching her face for a sign of disapproval.

Katie couldn't help but laugh at him. He was being ridiculous. "I understand Luke! Don't be so sorry for something you had no control over."

He turned to look at her again, "What do you mean I had no control over?" she smiled and turned her body to face him, wrapped her arms around his neck and swung a leg over his so she was kneeling in his lap. She wanted to be able to see his face.

"First off, you're a Duke boy; you can't help but attract women." Luke smiled at that, "Second, you have this crazy talent to hypnotize women with those blue eyes of yours." She slid one of her hands down the arm of his blue plaid shirt, "Which are really set off by these plaid shirts you wear." A low laugh at that one, "Thirdly, you're tough and strong. But you're also a sweet, sensitive, teddy bear deep down." She leaned down and gave him a soft kiss.

Luke wrapped his arms around her again, one hand finding its way up to the nape of her neck, soft touch, holding her where she was. (not that she really wanted to leave anyway) "Anything else on list?" he whispered.

"Yeah," she smiled, "You're a good kisser."

Luke smiled and tilted his chin up to meet Katie's.


	7. Doughnuts and Bad Guys

_Wow! This has got to be a personal best! Two chapters in as many days! I gotta say, I think the writing bug has bitten me again! YAY!_

_In this chapter Cooter is really being kind of nosy and annoying, but only because he is trying to protect his little cousin. *awwww* And we learn more about... Meh, I'll let you guys figure it out for yourselves.  
_

_P.S. Thanks for all the reviews! Keep them coming! I love hearing your guy's opinions and predictions and criticism! It makes me a very happy person!_

_

* * *

_

The next morning, Luke dropped Katie off bright and early at the Hazzard garage and headed home to help out with the morning chores. Katie was surprised to see Cooter already there and working on a carburetor. "Hey, hey!" Katie announced her presence to her cousin, who looked up over his shoulder at her.

"Mornin'," he replied, "There's some donuts over there on the work bench if you want some." he pointed the screwdriver in his hand in the general direction of the bench. Katie's stomach growled at the mention of food and she tracked down said food. Wandering back to the car that Cooter was working on and munching on a glazed donut (The breakfast of champions) she hopped up on a nearby stool, watching her cousin busy at work. "So, what y'all do last night?" Cooter asked, twirling a screw back in place.

"Not a bunch," Katie replied after swallowing a mouthful of doughnut, "Mostly just talked."

"What about?" Cooter questioned, setting the carburetor's cover back where it belonged.

"Stuff," she replied, "He wanted to know why I was back in Hazzard, I told him." she shrugged her shoulders and took another bite out of the quickly disappearing pastry.

"What did he say about that?" he asked, spinning the wing-nut down on top of the cover to hold it in place.

"Not a lot," Katie said, wiping the sticky glaze off of her hands on her jeans. "He was more happy that it sounded like I'd be sticking around."

"Oh?" Cooter turned around and leaned on the fender of the newly repaired car facing her.

"Yeah." she said nodding her head. "Speaking of which, when does the courthouse open to the public?" she asked looking across the street at the big building.

Cooter looked up at the clock on the wall. "In about an hour." he deduced.

"'Kay, I've gotta get over there and see what's up with the farm, if Boss claimed it as his own or if everything is the way it's supposed to be." She said as she got up from the stool to get another doughnut.

"Ain't ya gotta go to a lawyer for that?" Cooter questioned, brows furrowed, "Since its part of your Mom and Dad's will and all."

"Yeah, I just wanna feel old Boss out to make sure there's no shady business going on, ya know." She grabbed another doughnut and took a bite on her way back to her perch.

"That's probably a decent idea." Cooter said, watching his little cousin make her way back to the old, creaky stool. He reached up and readjusted his cap further back on his head. "So, what else did y'all do last night?"

Katie looked up from her rather delicious doughnut at her unusually inquisitive cousin leaning on the blue car in front of her. "I pretty much told ya everythin'."

Cooter smiled and pushed himself off the car. "I don't believe ya, ya know." he said taking a step towards his cousin. "What you told me is about enough to fill up five minutes, not a whole night." he reached out and tapped the brim of Katie's cap, causing it to fall down over her eyes.

"Cooter!" she yelled as she tried to tip her hat back up so she could see. Cooter took advantage of the situation and took the almost whole doughnut off of his cousins hands so she could concentrate fully on getting her hat back square on her head. She tipped her hat back up right and looked at him. "Hey! That was a dirty trick Cooter." She chastened him.

"Well, I got a doughnut outta it." Cooter said shamelessly, going back to his post, leaning on the car. "So what else went on last night?"

"We talked, we sat and listened to the crickets for awhile…" she trailed off.

Cooter shook his head. "What else did y'all talk about? Besides the stuff on why you was back."

"I asked Luke what was making him nervous as a long tailed cat in a room fulla rocking chairs." she replied as she hopped off her stool to once again get another doughnut.

"Yeah I kinda noticed that he was actin a might strange since ya showed up here yesterday. What was his problem?"

"I think he was a bit nervous or something seein' me back in town." She grabbed yet another doughnut from the rapidly dwindling supply and headed back across the garage. "He thought I was in some kinda trouble and needed his help like a damsel in distress." She laughed a bit and Cooter nodded, eyes crinkling as he smiled. "None of this had better make its way back to Luke, 'kay?" she pointed to Cooter.

He raised his hands in the air, "You got my word." he swore.

"Good." She said. "He also said something about other girls. Like a lot by the sounds of it."

"Yeah that's the truth." Cooter mumbled, but Katie caught it and looked at her cousin. "He wasn't lying there." he said a bit louder so she could hear better.

"Well I didn't exactly avoid the opposite sex out in the city neither." she explained as she sat back down on the stool for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past few minutes.

"Did you tell him that?" Cooter asked.

"Naw,"

"Huh. So what else did y'alls talk about?"

"That was about the extent of it." Katie said, taking a bite out of her new doughnut. "Anything else said last night was pretty incoherent." She winked at Cooter who looked kinda confused. Then a few seconds later that light bulb went off in his head and he made a face and shook his head.

"Need to know basis here alright." he scolded, waving his hand in front of him.

"Well you're the one that asked." Katie smiled behind her breakfast as Cooter marched off to find something else to do.

* * *

At 9:05, Katie struck out for the courthouse. She guessed that since it was Hazzard that the extra five minutes she took would never hurt nobody. She took the small steps two at a time up to the big oak doors that concealed the crooked county operators, namely Boss and Rosco, from the ever weary eye of the Hazzard public. It had been awhile since she had been in the building, but she could still navigate the cold, desolate hallways into Rosco's squad room blindfolded (She had naturally come here a lot since Rosco found it only fitting to throw Luke and Bo in jail every 5 minutes.) So she had no trouble finding the two free-swinging doors that led to that familiar booking room. Sitting at the desk by the holding cell was Enos Strate, looking every bit as backwards as she remembered him. "Hey Enos." she greeted, looking up at him on the raised platform by the holding cell.

"Howdy ma'am," Enos replied, looking up from whatever comic book he was reading. Once he finally recognized who it was standing in front of him, a big silly grin come across his face and he stood up to come down the three steps to where she was standing. "Katie! Katie Davenport! Is that you?" he squeaked as he ambled down the steps clumsily. "When did you come back to town?"

"Yeah Enos it's me," Katie answered the first question, "I came back yesterday afternoon on the bus."

"Well golly Katie! How was the big city?"

"Nothin' like Hazzard that's for sure." she replied with a wink.

"I always thought it would be kinda neat to go out to the big city and be like one of those big-shot cops on TV. Ya know, just to see what its like." he said with one of his trademark, ear splittingly squeaky laughs.

"Yeah, well one day Enos I'm sure you'll find out." Katie replied patting him on the shoulder. "Say, where's Boss? I got somethin' I need to talk to him about."

"He's right over there in his office with the Sheriff," Enos directed her, pointing to the office in the far corner of the squad room. "That office over there that those two just came out of." Katie looked in the direction that Enos pointed and her breath caught in her throat as she caught sight of the two big, burly men that had just come out of Boss' office. She turned to Enos quickly, facing her back to the two men until they were out of the small room.

"Thanks Enos." she smiled and thanked him, giving him another pat on the shoulder as she walked by him on her way to the County Commissioner's office.

Standing in front of the door, she could hear Rosco's crazy giggle. She lifted her hand to rap the door with her knuckles, but Boss interrupted her with a very interesting statement. "Yes Rosco! Those Dukes won't even know what hit 'em!" She looked over her shoulder to see that Enos had picked up his comic book and was safely lost in the land of Superheroes and Super villains. Katie leaned in a bit closer to the door to see if she could hear any details on Boss' master plan to frame the Dukes.

"Oh that's my little fat buddy! Always a plan in that little chrome dome of yours!" Rosco kewd and ijited.

"Yeah, yeah that's right. I'll get Jesse's farm and get those Duke boys out of my hair once and for all!" she heard what sounded like a fist hit a table. She straightened up. She missed the exact plan, but something was up. Lifting her hand to the door she gave it three good raps and stood back while she heard shuffling behind the door. Rosco opened the door, with Boss right behind him, peaking out from behind his human shield. "Well, well and well, who do we have here?" Boss said in a sickenly sweet voice.

"Well now Boss, I know it's been awhile, but that there's Katie Davenport ain't it." Rosco said to the fat man now standing beside him.

"Yeah, yeah I know Rosco I ain't blind!" Boss waved Rosco off, silently calling him an idiot.

Katie put on her sweetest country girl smile and greeted the two men.

"What brings you back to Hazzard County, Katie?" Boss asked, still in that weird sweetish sounding voice of his.

"Yeah, last I heard you was off at college in the big city." Rosco piped in, but immediately got hushed by Boss.

"Well, that's what I'm here to talk to you about Boss," Katie began, "When my parents passed, in their will they left me the farm, on the condition that I go out and get a college education - " She explained.

"Oh yes, your parents farm." Boss interrupted, his face scrunched up as he nodded his head.

"But, but Boss, weren't you going to sel -" Rosco said into Boss' ear, like Katie couldn't hear every word he was saying.

"Hush! Hush!" Boss shushed him quickly and pushed him away.

"—And I was wondering if that farm was still around or if it somehow got disappeared in my absence." she finished, looking at Boss, then Rosco and Boss again.

"Oh yes, yes!" Boss assured, "Your farm is still there, just the way it has always been."

"Good," Katie said simply as she turned for the door to Boss' office to leave, "I'll be in with a lawyer here shortly to get everything all switched around and the titles on the land changed."

"Oh yes, Katie," Boss replied, "Take your time, we don't want to go rushing into things now." That sick voice was beginning to get under Katie's skin, so she left.

* * *

Cooter saw his cousin marching towards him back across the street. "How'd it go?" he asked, straightening out from his position under the hood of yet another sick car.

"Boss claims everything's in order, but I don't know how good that is. Especially since Rosco was jumping around like a cat on a hot tin roof." Cooter nodded.

"Gotta be up to something I suspect."

"Yeah, and that ain't all," Katie remembered, "When I first got there and was talkin' to Enos, these two dudes came outta Boss' office, and I heard Boss and Rosco yippin' and kiyiyan about how they had Bo and Luke but good this time."

"Well then I guess we'd best get on the CB and tell old Bo and Luke then." Cooter set down the vise-grips that were in his hand, walked into the garage and grabbed up the mic for the CB. "Breaker-one, breaker-one, might be crazy, but I ain't dumb, Crazy Cooter comin' at ya, any of y'all Dukes home on the Hazzard Net, c'mon." he let the button on the side of the mic go and waited for a response.

The receiver cracked and Bo's voice came out over the speaker. "Yeah Cooter you got Bo and Luke here. What's up good buddy?"

Cooter brought the mic back up to his mouth and said that Katie figured they was in trouble. Luke came back and asked that Katie tell them what all she knew.

"As far as I can tell boys, Boss is trying to frame you guys."

"Well that ain't nothin' new." Bo responded.

"Yeah I know, but there was these two guys that came out of Boss' office and I think they might be involved in whatever scheme Boss has got cooking." Katie explained, "I've met 'em before in the city and they ain't exactly the nicest guys y'all ever meet."

"Who are they?" Luke asked.

"Their names are Tom and Darryl Hunt. They're brothers. Tom's about 6'4" with short dark hair and a messed up nose and Darryl is 'bout 6'2" I'd guess with longer sandy hair. They'll do anything so long as it pays."

"'Kay Katie, thanks for the heads-up." Luke thanked her.

"No problem Luke, just be careful, okay? I don't want y'all to go get hurt now."

"Don't worry none Katie," Bo replied, "Luke's got me here to protect him for ya."

"Well that's comforting." Katie laughed into the CB.

"Hey, I trust me!" Bo defended himself.

"Just call if ya need us." Cooter said into the mic.

"You bet." Luke replied, "We're down and gone." And they were gone.

* * *

_**Meanwhile, out on the road somewhere…**_

Darryl and Tom where exploring the back roads of Hazzard, getting to know the territory when their CB started talking. Darryl leaned down and turned it up. They heard the whole conversation between the Dukes and the Davenports and how the girl had seemed to have the scheme figured out.

"Katie," Darryl said, "Wasn't that the name of that girl that gave you the slip out in Atlanta?"

"Yep, Katie Davenport." Tom replied, turning the car off onto another old dirt road that they hadn't gone down yet. "I though that was her I saw in the police station earlier."

"By the sounds of it, her and that Luke Duke feller seem to be pretty fond of one another." Darryl looked at his older brother, smiling.

"This could be a lot easier than we thought." Tom replied, a sinister smile finding its way onto his scarred-up face.


End file.
